The present invention relates to a steering wheel switch mounting structure for mounting a switch on a steering wheel of a vehicle.
In recent years, there has been provided a switch mounted on a steering wheel of a vehicle, for example, an automobile. The switch is used for operating, for instance, an audio player or an automatic transmission. The switch is generally mounted to the steering wheel so that a bracket on which the switch is mounted is screwed to the steering wheel, which is one type of the mounting structure. Further, there are another types of the mounting structure, that is, the switch is mounted so that the switch is directly screwed to the steering wheel, or the switch is directly pressed into a part made of a soft material of the steering wheel.
Among the aforementioned related structures, the mounting structure of the type screwing the bracket on which the switch is mounted to the steering wheel needs the bracket and the screw. Thus, the number of components of the structure of this type is large. Moreover, it takes time to screw the switch to the steering wheel. Consequently, the manufacturing cost thereof increases. Further, although the structure of the type screwing the switch directly to the steering wheel does not need a bracket, however, this structure still needs the screws. Therefore, the manufacturing cost of this structure is still high.
Furthermore, as compared with these conventional structures, the structure of the type pressing the switch into the part made of the soft material of the steering wheel needs neither the bracket nor the screw. However, since the part made of the soft material supports the mounted switch, this structure has a drawback in that the mounting state of the switch is unstable, namely, the mounted switch is unsteady.
The invention is accomplished in view of the aforementioned circumstances. Accordingly, an object of the invention is to provide a structure for mounting a switch on a vehicular steering wheel, which needs neither a bracket nor a screw and obtains a steady and stable mounting state of the switch.
To achieve the foregoing object, according to the invention, there is provided a structure (hereunder referred to a first structure) for mounting a switch on a vehicular steering wheel. The first structure comprises an outer casing accommodating a switch body of the switch;
a mounting hook provided on the outer casing and engaged with the core metal;
a lower cover covering a back of the steering wheel; and
a retaining portion provided on the lower cover and being in contact with the mounting hook engaged with the core metal so as to restrain the mounting hook from moving in a direction in which engagement between the core metal and the mounting hook is canceled.
According to the first structure of the invention, the switch is mounted on the steering wheel without using a bracket and a screw. Moreover, the switch is mounted on a core metal of the steering wheel. Furthermore, the switch is more firmly mounted thereon by utilizing not only the engagement between the core metal and the mounting hook but also the retaining portion serving to restrain the hook portion from moving in a direction in which the engagement therebetween is canceled.
In this case, preferably, an embodiment (that is, a second structure) of the first structure of the invention is adapted so that the mounting hooks engage with the exterior of the core metal of the steering wheel, and that each of the retaining portions is in contact with the exterior of a corresponding one of the mounting hooks. Further, preferably, another embodiment (that is, a third structure) of the first structure of the invention is adapted so that each of the mounting hooks has a plurality of leg portions and engages with the core metal by being inserted into a hole portion of the core metal of the steering wheel, and that each of the retaining portions is inserted into a space provided among the leg portions of a corresponding one of the mounting hooks and in contact with the inner side surface of each of the leg portions thereof.